


Just a snack

by Dareandwriteit



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Blood, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I swear I'll actually include him eventually, Illnesses, Kravitz is mentioned, Needles, No one dies!, Not much of any of those but thought I should tag it anyway, Post Eleventh Hour, Protect Angus 2k17, Seizures, angsty as fuck because that's my only setting, despite the heavy suggestion they will, happy ending I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-05 19:59:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10315871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dareandwriteit/pseuds/Dareandwriteit
Summary: It had started the same way at Glamour Springs. The kids were the first ones to get sick.Taako gets over his fear of cooking only to have history repeat itself.





	1. Not feeling so swell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I want thank monstercapitalism from tumblr for their anonymous prompt thing they've got going on: it inspired me to write TAZ fanfic in the first place!
> 
> (Also feel free to blame them for how angsty this turned out to be!)
> 
> My tumblr is dareandwriteitdown if you want to come yell at me about TAZ!

It had started the same way at Glamour Springs. The kids were the first ones to get sick.

“Sir? I’m not feeling so swell.”

Initially, Taako hadn’t thought anything of it. Why the hell would he? He was going to make fun of the fact that Angus, youngest of them by over a decade, spoke like a grandpa. Who the hell used the word “swell” in a normal ass conversation? They had been in middle of a breather during their magic lesson, which had quickly grown in a break, and then a lunch hour.

Taako had shared some food left over from his last trip down to Neverwinter. He’d made lunches for Magnus, Merle and himself, but they’d never got around to eating them. To be honest, he’d forgotten they were in his bag. He was secretly kind of pissed at himself. He was over this shit. He was ok with cooking, it was one of the few things he was really fucking good at. And after Refuge, he knew he wasn’t to blame for poisoning shit.

The macarons had been fine. Taako had been fine. Cooking was fine.

But when Taako turned to look at Angus, he could see something was wrong. Angus’ skin was clammy, taking on an unnatural shine under the harsh lights of the pantry. Even through the thick lenses of his glasses, his eyes seemed glassy and out of focus. His lips were taking on a tinge of blue.

Taako felt like all the blood drained out of his body in an instant. He quickly crouched, and pressed the palm of his hand against Angus’ head.

He was cold. The way Kravitz was cold.

“Sir?” Angus asked in a very small voice.

Taako forced the idea of Kravitz out of his head.

“We’re going to get Merle.” Taako said, in a voice that seemed too matter of fact to be his. He grabbed Angus’ hand, about to pull him across the length of the moon base. Angus’ hand was even colder than his forehead had been.

“Sir, I-” Angus spasmed suddenly, his hand snatched out of Taako’s. The seizure set on so suddenly Taako couldn’t think of what to do. Angus was shaking so violently that he couldn’t stay on his feet. He landed badly, hitting his glasses at an edge and shattering them. The glass left a cut on his cheek, and blood starting trailing down Angus’ face.

Taako turned on his stone of far speech. But he didn’t know what he was saying. He was yelling. People were yelling back. None of it really sounded like anything.

Taako wanted to run. It was just for a second. It was an instinct more than a thought. 

And he hated himself for thinking it. Even with all the excuses, that he was going to get help or to find out about the poison, he knew the reality of it.

Taako crouched down and picked up Angus in his arms, holding him as though they were in the middle of a normal hug. Well… What Taako thought a normal hug was. He wasn’t really a big one for that mushy stuff, that was all Magnus. Angus’ head was rested against Taako’s shoulder, his seizure beginning to subside. Taako wrapped his cloak close around them both, with Agnus’ twitching feet poking out of one corner. Angus kept spitting out half-words, and strange sounds that were pained and confused.

“It’s ok, bubbeleh. You don’t need to talk. Just try and relax, ok?” Taako felt his voice catch, and forced himself to look at ceiling so he wouldn’t cry. “Let’s kick it Taako style, huh?”

And they sat there, Taako holding Angus close, for what felt eternity. Angus arms’ and legs would jolt unexpectedly, making him hard to hold onto easily. There were a few spots where Taako was sure Angus would leave a bruise from his constant kicks and swinging arms. Taako only held him closer.

Killian kicked the doors in front of them open, but they didn’t react. She was carrying Merle under one arm, a sight which would have made Taako burst out laughing at any other time. Carey was a few seconds behind her, and she hesitated at the door.

“What happened?” Killian asked, setting Merle down in front of Taako.  
“It was the food.” Taako said quietly. “I fucked it up again.”  
Merle was the only one who heard it. Taako had pretty much whispered it.

“Ladies, can you go get a bed in the medical dome ready? Get that stuck up nurse to have some cleansing tea ready. The good shit. Don’t let her cheap out on us.” Merle said, not taking his eyes off Taako.

Killian and Carey took the message. They stormed through the base as though the walls wouldn’t slow them down.

“What was it this time?” Merle asked as soon as they were out of ear shot.  
“Shit. I don’t know,” Taako said, running his fingers through Angus’ curls. “Last time, it was obvious. The berries, I didn’t know them then. I don’t think I…”  
“Not to crush the pity party, but you didn’t fuck it up the last time.”  
Taako sighed, but the tension didn’t go anywhere. His shirt started to feel wet: the blood from Agnus’ cut was starting to seep through.  
“Hell, we don’t even know if it’s poison.”  
“It is.” Taako was certain.  
“It’d help if I knew which one.”

Taako shifted Angus in his arms, so Merle could get a better look at him. In his delirium, Angus whined and groaned as Taako moved away from him.  
“I’m right here, Angus, I’m not going anywhere.”

If Merle was surprised by this tenderness, he didn’t show it. He instead looked closely at Angus’ face, gently turning it this way and that. He took off the kid's glasses, taking care not to let them get caught in Angus’ hair. Merle folded them up and placed them in his own shirt pocket, a few more pieces of shattered glass falling out of the frame. He took the kid’s pulse very carefully, resting his fingers beneath Angus’ chin. Under his breath, Merle cast a healing spell. The cut on Agnus’ face sealed up, only leaving the red trail of blood behind.

“Is that it?” Taako asked this, knowing it wasn’t. He’d looked into healing magic briefly after Glamour Springs, but it hadn’t done him any favours. There were too many rules, it didn’t fix anything as well as it should have.

“I don’t think it’s any of the really bad shit. There’s no rashes, and the kid’s breathing ok.”

Taako didn’t feel very comforted. Angus was still so cold in his arms. He couldn’t stop thinking of Kravitz, and how he was always so cold. Why he was always so cold.

“You did good, Taako. You looked after him,” said Merle.  
“I fucking poisoned him.”  
“But you stayed.”

Before Taako could say anything in reply, he felt Angus shudder in his arms again. Oh gods, another seizure was setting in. 

“Taako, put him down.” Merle said.  
“But I…”  
“Just while the seizure passes. We don’t want to hurt him.”

So Taako let go. He set Angus down on the ground, and couldn’t bare to look at him. He looked so much like a kid, snotty tears and wordless pain. Taako got up, stepping away from Angus. Of course he shouldn’t have picked Angus up. Everyone knew that you shouldn’t move people when they’re having a seizure, of course he fucked it up.

Magnus rushed in at this point. It seemed weird that it had taken that long for him show up, but a few things betrayed the reason. His hair was soaking wet. His shirt was inside out. He was wearing a pair of shorts he’d clearly grabbed from the washbasket. He didn’t have any shoes on. (Which must have sucked because the floor mostly ice cold metal.) He was so out of breath that he couldn’t say anything when he got there.

Merle almost had to fight Magnus off. He wanted to scoop the kid up in his arms, and Taako knew Magnus would be better at it than he’d been. They had to wait, and that was a concept so difficult to Magnus that most of the time was passed by Merle arguing with him. Taako didn’t pay attention to either of them. He was thinking about the food, about what Angus had eaten.

This seizure was shorter, but Angus wasn’t talking anymore. His hair was plastered against his skin with sweat by the time it was over.

Magnus took him up in one smooth movement, carrying Angus like he weighed nothing. He probably did to Magnus. Magnus charged off to the medical dome, much in the same way as Carey and Killian had. Merle followed, his typical waddle not exactly lending him the same speed. But he seemed to realise something on the way out.

“You should come with, Taako,” Merle said.  
“Why, so I can watch the kid die?” Taako snapped, not really thinking.  
“No.”  
“Or so I can fucking sit and listen to everyone gossip about that jackass Taako? The one who fucked up the only two things he’s any fucking good at so bad that forty people died. Oh, I guess forty one.”  
“No!”  
“Then why, Merle?”  
“Because you ate the food too.” 

Taako realised he hadn’t thought of that. Not even for a second. He’d been lucky the first time this happened, depending on your definition of “lucky”. He hadn’t tasted the food that time, which hadn’t been like him. But he’d worried about it for days, unable to know for sure. Now he knew that he’d eaten some of it, it was almost certain he’d been poisoned too. 

And it didn’t matter.

“I don’t feel sick,” Taako mumbled.  
“That's weird, because I don’t give shit if you do. Now you either march your ass down to the medical dome or I kick it there.” Merle didn’t sound like he was kidding.  
“I’d like to see you try little man.” Taako walked over anyway. He kind of wanted Merle to rush over to the medical dome, try and help out rather than waste his time walking with Taako.

It was nice that he didn’t.  
Taako wouldn’t say that though.


	2. Not a piece of swiss cheese

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angus and Taako get some medical help.  
> Taako wishes they hadn't bothered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow such a great reaction! I'm glad so many people are enjoying this fic! Here's a quick chapter, not too long.
> 
> Warnings for this chapter:  
> There are mentions of needles, and how scary they are.

By the time Merle and Taako had reached the medical dome, Angus’ bed was surrounded by people. Carey and Killian had been at the foot of the bed for a while, and Carey was holding Killian’s hand tightly. A cup of cleansing tea, as requested by Merle, was in Killian’s free hand. Magnus was at the side of the bed, seemingly all energy with nothing to do. He was tapping a foot, bouncing his fingers off the end of the bed.

No-3113, despite her bulky robotic frame, was in her element. Taako had forgotten that her thing was healing: when you’re the main player in a giant robot fight that info tends to get left behind.

“Taako, I need you sit and wait for minute honey.” Taako did so mutely, taking a bed in the corner.The medical dome was a small area, with six beds lined in a row on the left side of the room. The right side of the room was all cabinets and medical supplies, as well as a desk for any healers to use when needed. Even though Taako was on the bed next to Angus, No-3113 blocked his view of the kid completely. Taako was kind of glad.

“Angus? Can you hear me buddy?” No-3113 asked. Merle walked up next to her, and whispered some things to her. Taako caught the words “poison” and “coma”.

Taako pulled his hat down over his ears so he didn’t have to hear.

“Where’s Taako?” Angus’ voice was croaky, panicked, and only audible because everyone had seemed terrified of making any sound. Taako pulled on his hat harder. He could feel the other people in the staring at him, and his face began to burn.

“He’s right here. You’re both going to be fine.” No-3113 was a very good healer, better than Merle because she knew how to make people believe they were feeling better. Taako wondered how good she could have been back when she was still alive. And the fact that she was no longer alive made his chest hurt.

Angus didn’t seem to know what to say. He stumbled over half a dozen different words without settling on one. And that was even worse than if he’d blamed Taako, because Angus was such as a smart kid, who always had the exact words he needed to say. Not always smoothly, but he was the world’s greatest detective for good reason. Instead of saying something smart, Angus burst into tears.

“I know it hurts,” No-3113 sounded like she meant it, “I’m going to make you feel much better. Just need to be brave for a minute, ok kid wonder?”

And there was a sharp click, and Taako only just glanced the small syringe that popped out of No-3113’s side. He hadn’t seen it since she had first used it to heal Merle way back in the Crystal Kingdom. She seemed better equipped now, a whole array of needles with different potions and tonics in them cycling through before she finally settled on an empty one.

“Stay still for me Angus, alright? Need to a run a test on that blood of yours.”

Angus found it very difficult to stay still. Taako didn’t need to be able to see him to tell. He could tell by the way No-3113 hovered close, and the way Magnus’ eyes moved across the bed. 

Taako half remembered a discussion, way back when Angus had first joined the Bureau. 

“I’m very glad to be here Sir, especially because I don’t need to take any shots or anything! I mean, I know they’re really important and my grandpa always says that physical health is the backbone of a robust society, but I just find needles really scary. They always really hurt, and get these big bruises, and they make me feel all faint, you see, Sir.”

Taako wished he’d cast Silence or something. Angus wailed when No-3113 took her sample, despite Carey’s attempts to distract him with bad jokes, and Magnus holding his hand. They were so dramatic, Taako thought. No-one ever distracted him when he was a hurt little kid.

But he didn’t mean it. He wanted to be bitter about it, wanted to feel like he was hurt by this in a way that made it ok to feel sorry for himself. It was his fault.

“We’re gonna let you take a nice rest now. Just one more shot so you can take a nap.” No-3113 started cycling through her syringes again, and the whirring noise was more than Taako could take. He jumped up off his bed and walked over to Angus.

“Hey, don’t poke any more holes in him. He’s an apprentice, not a piece of swiss cheese.”

Angus looked terrible, there were no two ways about it. But he tried to force himself to brighten up when he heard Taako was there. He tried to sit up again, but Taako put a hand on Angus’ shoulder.

“Don’t over excite yourself kid, we gotta be sharp for your magic lesson. And this is one we can learn the Taako way, which means being as chill as possible.” He saw Angus tap at his face, and prempted the panic. “It’s a super easy one, so you can do it without your nerd glasses. Hell, Magnus could probably even do it and he’s dumb as brick.”

Magnus laughed at this, at maybe half his usual volume. Taako took his spare wand out of his hat (a choice born of aesthetic, not practicality), and placed it in Angus’ hand. It was still icy cold, and so weak the wand almost fell clean out. Taako put his hand over Angus’, and they moved the wand together. Taako said the enchantment very slowly and clearly, and Angus practiced the sounds, blurring syllables together.

“Whatsa spell?” Angus drawled, his head slowly rolling back onto the pillow.

“Sleep.”

And sure enough, Angus was asleep. Taako thought about taking the wand out of Angus’ hand, but thought better of disturbing the kid. God, he was the one who needed sleep now. He realised that Magnus, Carey, Killian, Merle, and No-3113 were looking at him.

“Cram it. I’m not in the fuckin’ mood, ok?”  
“You feeling ok Taako?” Magnus asked.  
“I’m not poisoned if that’s what you’re asking.”  
That wasn’t what Magnus was asking, but it didn’t matter.  
“I’ve gotta test ya anyway Taako.” No-3113 said, floating over with a fresh syringe drawn.  
“Yeah, sure. Whatever. I’m not a crybaby about it like the kid.” Taako wrenched up his sleeve and held out his arm.

The needle had stung, and Taako thought the kid had been onto something by being suspicious of them.

Taako’s tests came back clear right away. Only a few minutes had passed before No-3113 had finished processing it (another strange perk of her robot body), and it was completely ordinary for an elf of Taako’s age. 

It was a relief. Magnus was over joyed that Taako was ok, all bear hugs and declarations of admiration. Merle was happy too, if only in a “I told you so” way. Killian slapped Taako on the back so hard he thought he felt his spine shift out of place.

Correction. It was relief for everyone but Taako. Maybe it was all the sappy reactions. Or it was a need to actually have consequences to this. Maybe he just didn’t want to have to see Angus like this.

Taako wished he’d been poisoned after all.

Angus’ results were inconclusive, and then inconclusive, and then inconclusive. Every day that passed Taako heard No-3113 and Merle had tried something else, and that another theory hadn’t amounted to anything.


	3. Mitts off the money maker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako doesn't want to do a bedside visit.  
> Then he doesn't want it to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So glad that there's so many people enjoying this: it's so weird to have so much response to my second piece ever!
> 
> Heads up, there's one more seizure in this part. But the rest is so cute I hope it makes up for it.

Taako didn’t visit. He didn’t know how he could, since he’d put the kid in there in the first place. Magnus visited all the time, sometimes more than three times a day. That was Magnus all over, unable to bear seeing the weak get hurt. Even Merle visited, once or twice when he thought nobody would know. 

Magnus would always invite Taako along, and Taako always find an excuse. They were shitty ones, even for Taako. “I need to practice this spell” became “gotta meditate dude” to “spell slots or something”. After a week, Magnus finally put his foot down.

“You need to go see Angus.” Magnus was not known of his command of subtext.

“Why?” Taako had been sitting on the couch upside down, flipping through the pages of a book he wasn’t reading.

“He’s lonely.”

“How can he be when you spend every damn second of the day with him?”

“The kid misses you!”

“That’s his mistake.”

Magnus sat down next Taako on the couch.

“This kid loves you Taako. Right down to his bones. You don’t think that means anything?”

Taako flipped the right way up. “I poisoned the kid, Magnus. He almost died! You think him loving me made it burn any less? Or made it more comfortable when he was being poked and prodded with needles? Face it Mags, the kid’s better off without me and if it wasn’t for this Reclaimers gig you would be too.”

Magnus grabbed Taako’s book, and threw it across the room. Taako didn’t react. 

“Go see him.” Magnus’ voice was grave, and his face was bright red. It would have been intimidating if his eyes hadn’t glanced over to the book, making sure he hadn’t damaged it.

“Or what? You’ll hit me? Or are you going to throw all my shit across the room like a child?”

“If you don’t go see him, he’s going to try and see you. And then it will be your fault if he ends up dying because he wouldn’t stay in the medical dome.”

Taako crossed his arms and pouted. “Fine. Fine! I’ll go, if it gets you off my back. Don’t touch my shit while I’m gone.” 

And Taako slammed the door behind him.

* * *

He was just going to get his wand back. That was the excuse he was going to give. He was going to get the thing back and leave. And it was already kind of dark out, so the kid might be asleep.

When Taako first entered the Medical Dome, he thought it was empty. No-3113 was at training with Carey and Killian, a thing that Carey insisted it was ok for No-3113 to miss while Angus was sick. But Angus had insisted that she should go and train, promising he would stay in bed the whole time she was gone. They’d agreed to just two hours a day, one in the morning and one at night. Their stones of far speech were always on.

Taako walked quietly across the ward, the row of six beds on the left all neatly made. The cabinets and medical supplies that made up the right side the room were tidy and in their places. Taako looked over the room, and wondered if there was anything worth stealing in those cabinets.

“Sir! Sir! Hello Sir!”

Shit.

Angus was sitting in the bed he’d been in a week ago, the second one in. He was almost buried in gifts from members of the Bureau: a blanket knitted with a symbol of Istus was wrapped around him, various wooden knick knacks and books were piled up on the bedside table. He still didn’t have his glasses, and that made him look even younger. Angus had lost weight, which was worrying because Angus had always been skinny. He was wearing an ugly bed shirt which was too big for him, making him seem even thinner.

It was strange. Without his neat little suits and his glasses, Agnus looked like a kid.

“I can’t believe you’re visiting Sir! I’ve been practicing the spell you taught me, look, look!”

From beneath the covers, Angus pulled out the wand Taako had left with him. He waved it some approximation of the spell Sleep, saying the incantation in the same slow deliberate way Taako had the week before.

Only Angus would ace a lesson where he was supposed to be asleep.

Taako pushed his admiration somewhere deep down inside him.“You know you’re supposed to say all the sounds together, right? It’s one word, not a whole book.” 

“Oh. Okay Sir. I’ll try.” Angus sounded a little disappointed, and Taako tried not to care. Angus placed the wand on the bedside table, very, very carefully. Taako came and sat on the edge of the bed, trying not to look at Angus. They sat in silence for a little while.

“It’s not your fault, Sir.”

“Don’t do that.” Taako said coldly.

“Do what Sir?”

“Tell me it’s not my fault when it fucking is. I made the food, and you got sick, and now you’re rolling out the pity party. But I don’t fucking want it, understood? I fucked up. Be pissed at me.”

“Oh no Sir! I didn’t mean to suggest anything like that, and you apologising for the first time ever is a very nice thing, but it really isn’t your fault.”

“Holy shit Angus, you almost died! What do I have to do to get you mad at me?!”

“Sir.” Angus’s voice was serious enough to make Taako turn to look at him. Angus put his hands on either side of Taako’s face, his nose almost close enough to touch Taako’s. His face was very serious, and Taako stifled a laugh.

“I am the world’s greatest detective. And when I looked at the results, I detected that the poison could only have hurt humans, and it’s rare enough that the tests don’t recognise it. That isn’t something you can make very easily, and you can’t make it at all with transmutation magic, so I _know_ it’s not your fault.”

The kid was talking sense. Of course he was, he was Angus. Taako realised that Angus’ hands were warm now. Taako swatted them away from his face before he had a chance to let a smile appear. (He was a little too late, and Angus noticed.)

“Come on kid, mitts off the money maker.”

Angus put his hands down, and crossed them in a very matter-of-fact way.

“So if it wasn’t me that poisoned the food, who was it?” Taako asked. Angus’s mature look shattered in a second.

“Well, that’s what I wanted to investigate, but you didn’t visit, and Magnus couldn’t remember where you made the food, and I haven’t been allowed to get out of bed and I-I…”

“Hey kiddo, don’t bust a gut now. Only an idiot dies the week _after_ they got poisoned.” Taako used his most calming voice, but Angus was already whipped into a frenzy.

“But you must have felt so bad! And after all you said about cooking food that people couldn’t eat, and you stopped cooking because of it and it must have been so hard and I should’ve checked the food but I thought it would upset y-y…”

Angus’ eyes began to roll back in his head, his arms went limp. Angus began to shake again. Taako jumped up off the bed, having learned from his mistake during the first seizure.

Taako pulled the stone of far speech out of his pocket, but fumbled with it. He couldn’t think of No-3113’s frequency, and he didn’t know what to say. He ended up calling the last frequency he’d used.

“Hey, Magnus, can you get No-3113? Angus is, uh, having another fit.”

“Did it just start?” Magnus’ voice was serious.

“A second ago, yeah.” Taako couldn’t take his eyes off Angus’ bed.

“Oh, she says that it’s best to just wait it out.”

“Isn’t there, like, a thing I can do? Like a potion or something?”

“‘Fraid not man. Trust me. He’ll come out of it in a second.” Magnus’ voice suggested he’d seen this a few too many times in the last few days.

“Thanks Magnus,” Taako said this before he realised he was thinking it. He half expected Magnus to gloat about Taako being so sappy. He didn’t.

“No problem. Call again if he’s still bad a few minutes, alright?” Magnus was sincere.

“It’s cool, Mags. The kid’s waking up now. See ya.” Taako said, hanging up.

Angus looked tired when the shaking ended, and somehow seemed more upset once he came to his senses.

“S-sorry Sir.”

“Jeez, Agnes, what are you apologising for?” Taako said, taking his seat on the bed once again.

“I didn’t want to frighten you, Sir,” whispered Angus.

“Bit late for that one.” Taako said.

“Is this why you weren’t visiting me?”

Busted.

“You know Taako. Fingers in many pies, so to speak. I don’t have time to go visit every dying fan.” Taako didn’t look at Angus when he said this. He wished he hadn’t said the word dying.

“I understand Sir.” Angus sounded like he did.

“Besides, I thought you had Magnus and everyone else keeping you company.” 

Taako went through some of the items on Angus’ bedside table as though to prove his point. He tipped a few of the wooden animals over. Magnus was good at making them, sure, but he wasn’t really very creative: you could spot which presents were Magnus’ from a mile off. Carey had made one or two of them, judging by how lumpy the dragon and bear had been. 

Killian had left a somewhat crumpled daffodil, which looked like it had once been part of much bigger bunch that hadn’t taken well to being shoved in someone’s pocket. Merle had left a box of strange looking tea, which seemed like a bad idea to give to anyone. It smelled illegal. 

Johann had left a music box: always trying to share those damn mix tapes. There was a box of lumpy macrons that must have been from the Director, judging from how the bad texture was. She hadn’t quite nailed it yet. There were plenty of books, but the way they’d been buried beneath the other presents betrayed they’d been ignored.

“Plus you’ve got all these books. No time for Taako.” Taako said flippantly.

“Oh, yes. I suppose.” Angus didn’t sound convinced. “It’s just that, well, I can’t… I can’t read right now. I, uh, lost my glasses. And No-3113 is very smart and she says that it’s not safe for me to have them when I keep having seizures and I understand that but I really don’t have much I can do without them and… uh, what are you doing, Sir?”

Taako had gotten comfortable on the bed next to Angus, and placed his hat on the side. He took up wand, and silently cast a spell. The book from the top of the pile “Caleb Cleveland, Kid Cop: The Case of Wayward Wizard” floated over, and opened on the first page in front of Taako and Angus.

“Just so you know, I’ll kill you if you tell anyone about this.”

“Of course, Sir.”

“It won’t be with food though.”

“I know.”

Angus leaned into Taako, resting his head against the wizard's chest. Taako could feel Angus’ chest rising and falling with each breath, and it was reassuring. He brought his attention to the page, and began to read.

“Caleb Cleveland was the world’s best cop- well, that’s bullshit already, the best one’s right here.”

“Taako!”

“Fine, fine. Caleb Cleveland was the world’s second best cop, and he knew that something was wrong.”

* * *

When No-3113 came back from training, she found Taako and Angus asleep on the bed, with the book lying open on Taako’s lap. She didn’t disturb them. But she couldn’t wait to tell Magnus and Merle about it the next day.

Taako would never live it down.


	4. Helps to have a project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus takes up repairs and fixes more than glasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot's taking a bit of a break so I can get emotional about my fave Tres Horny Boy, Magnus Burnsides.
> 
> (I would die for Ango and Mango.)

Magnus realised during his visits that most of the time he’d spent looking at Angus had actually been spent looking at the kid’s glasses. It wasn’t that he avoided looking at the kid properly. Angus hid behind huge round lenses, held together with little more than wire. They were cheap, the kind that had seen more time spent on repairing them than making them.

It was only now, after Merle had taken them off of Angus, that Magnus could see how _bad ___they were. They could easily have been worn by someone much younger than Angus, and even then they must have been uncomfortable. They were exposed silver wire, turned brown in places. They left a small red mark either side of Angus’ nose, still present after weeks without wearing them.

He’d seen the same marks back in Ravensroost. Steven was stubborn, and wore the same pair of glasses his entire life. Julia had thrown his old glasses in the fire one night, in an attempt to force him to replace them with a pair that fit. Steven had stayed up all night, pulling his old pair out of the fire and remaking them to be exactly the same. The only new thing about that pair was the lenses, which had been fine to begin with. 

Magnus wondered where those glasses were now.

He asked for Angus’ glasses late one night, when he couldn’t get any sleep. Whenever he couldn’t get his mind to turn off, it helped to have a project.

* * *

It was late when the Magnus finished his project. Too late, Merle argued, to see Angus. But Magnus was excited, and didn’t want to wait. Sure enough, when he had shown up at the medical bay, No-3113 had tried to convince him to come back the next day. Unsuccessfully, as Magnus barrelled into the room and crashed onto the kid’s bed.

Magnus was heavy enough that Angus was thrown a few inches in the air. Angus woke with a yelp, holding his blanket of Istus close. Magnus felt something sharp poke him in the arm, and realised it was Angus’ wand.

“Oh, sorry, sorry sir!” Angus stuttered, holding his wand close. Magnus rubbed his arm, and a small drop of blood came away on his hand.

“No, no! My bad Ango. It’s not my worst battlescar.” Magnus laughed, wiping his hand clean on shirt sleeve. It going in the wash later anyway. “I just wanted to give you something.”

“And it couldn’t wait until morning?” Angus asked, nervously.

“Let’s see.” Magnus said, and he took a rather lumpy package out of his pocket. It had a ribbon wrapped around it. It wasn’t tied in any way, there was just one incredibly long ribbon tangled over the paper package. Angus ended up having to stab the package with his wand just to open it.

The glasses were not Angus’. The lenses were the same absurd thickness: his eyesight needed all the help it could get. But they weren’t nearly so huge, no longer reflecting light like a pair of owl eyes. The frames were beautiful. There was no other way to describe them. They were wooden, but smooth enough to feel like glass. The wood was speckled, in a way that looked as though Angus’ freckles extended from his face. Hints of green were woven through wood in a way that made them seem almost alive.

Angus slipped them on, and went to push them up his nose from habit. He didn’t need to. They fit well enough that it was as though they weren’t there. Magnus took out a pocket mirror he’d borrowed from Taako, and handed it to Angus.

“So? What do you think?”

Angus looked at his reflection. He looked for a long, long time. He seemed frozen by the image in the mirror.

“You okay Ango? Because I can fix your old ones if you want…”

“No, no, Sir! I love them, they’re lovely, I love them! Thank you!” Angus put the mirror down on his lap, and beamed at Magnus. Tears welled up in the corner of his eyes, and his voice wavered.  
“And here’s the best part!” Magnus said excitedly. He took the glasses from Angus, and in one quick movement, crushed them. 

Angus’s face fell. It was incredible just how ready the kid was to believe that Magnus would do this to him. Magnus patted Angus on the shoulder gently, placing the pieces in front of him.

“Hang on, no need to get upset. Just watch.”

The snapped frames lay on the bed in two pieces for a moment. And then, a twitch. A jolt. The wood of the frame seemed the stretch and grow, the flecks of green shining a gentle bronze. Tiny branches extended from the frames, and began to knit together in a gentle pattern. The break faded, and was lost in the the new branches. Soon, it was impossible to tell where the break had been. The glasses were whole once again.

“That’s Pan’s blessing. You can thank Merle for that one. I don’t know what he did exactly, but these ones won’t break, so there’s no need to worry.” Magnus said, with a laugh.

“Thank you, but... I can’t take these.” Angus looked down at his fidgeting hands.

“Why not?” Magnus didn’t mean to sound offended.

“Because I can’t pay for them.” Angus sounded very unsure.

“Bullshit. I’m not going to make you pay to be able to see.”

“But they’re so nice, and I’m sure my old glasses would be ok with a little bit of spellotape...”

Magnus interrupted. “Angus. You need these.”

Magnus folded the glasses up carefully, trying not to touch the glass lenses and smudge them. He put them in Angus’ hands with some force, closing Angus’ hands over them.

“You don’t have to wear ‘em. But I want you to have them. You matter to us Angus, and I know we’re not the best at sharing that or talking about stuff. But… I’ve lost a lot. More than most.”  
“I’m getting better now, Sir.” Angus interjected.

Angus didn’t look better. He was consistently losing weight to the point where he barely looked like himself. Magnus could lift the kid with one hand if he tried. Angus was always tired. Seizures were both expected and seemingly at random. He had nightmares, though he pretended he didn’t.

“I don’t want to lose your… you… ness? Reading and nerd shit… That’s you!” Magnus said with some enthusiasm.  
“I just… I don’t deserve them!” Angus blurted, holding the glasses tight. “I’m the world’s greatest detective! I’m supposed to solve the case. It’s what I’m really good at! But I don’t know what to do! I can’t… think properly. And you guys are all being so nice to me, but I can’t do it! I can’t help you!”

Magnus pulled Angus into a close hug, cutting off his panicked babbling. He started rubbing circles on the kid’s back. 

“Deep breaths, Ango. Nice and calm.” Magnus said in a low voice. Angus took a shuddering breath, and held tight to Magnus. Magnus felt the glasses in between them, in Angus’ hand.

“You’re family. You know that right? You don’t owe us anything. Not a damn thing.”

Angus mumbled something into Magnus’ shirt.

“I’m not going to lose you Angus. I won’t let it happen.”

They stayed there, quiet, for a while. Angus fidgeted with the glasses in his hand, but Magnus didn’t let go. 

He wasn’t going to lose this family too. It was going to be different this time.

When Angus slipped out of the hug, he had his new glasses on. His eyes weren’t hidden anymore. Magnus could see the tears rolling down Angus’ face with complete clarity. Angus’ smile did a little to make the tears less miserable.

“Thank you Sir. I mean, thank you Magnus.”  
“You’re welcome Angus.”


	5. Difficult to read

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako and Angus share some heavy reading material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! The plot finally decides to go somewhere.
> 
> Quick warning, there is a description of an anxiety attack in this part, but it is fairly non-specific.

Taako didn’t know why Angus liked this detective shit. It was boring, and it took forever. It didn’t help that Taako had started the investigation having to read everything for the kid. He could tell that Angus was used to being able to read much faster, and he found himself conscious of tripping over every word. 

Taako was more relieved than anyone when Magnus had replaced Angus’ glasses. He hadn’t said anything, but not being able to ask Angus for help on solving the poisoning was driving him out of his mind. Seeing Angus sat up in bed, nose buried in research, made things feel like they were heading in the right direction. Like things were finally getting better. He almost jumped when Angus finally looked up from his research.

“Sir! Look at what Magnus made me!” Angus said, pointing excitedly at his own face.  
Instead of saying what he meant, Taako said, “Good on Magnus. Means I don’t have to see as much of your ugly mug.”

So Angus had been able to read, and asked Taako to help him read through the clues anyway. It was a job that Taako hated.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t read. Of course he could read. It just wasn’t a thing he’d ever needed to be quick with before. The reading material didn’t help.

“Botulinium.” Taako read from the Encyclopaedia of Poison. It was an enormous volume, with lists of every known toxic materials. It was so big that Taako had it resting on Angus’ bed, having pulled up a chair next to Angus. Angus had a notebook covered in complex shorthand which he would continually flick back and forth through, and scribbled things down as Taako read out loud.

“No… I wouldn’t be the only one who got sick.”

“Cyanide.”

“I guess it’s possible… But I didn’t taste any almonds, and it would have been in the blood tests.”

Without thinking, Angus ran his right hand over his left arm. It was a patchwork of beige plasters, which Angus held tightly. He hadn’t gotten any better with needles. If anything the dozens of tests had left him jumpier than ever.

Taako pretended not to see it. He’d only been present for a few of them. Angus had made a big show out of not being afraid, but his face was ashen before the needles were even made present. Best case scenario he fainted. Taako had heard about the worse case scenario, which had ending with someone else getting jabbed.

Taako had joked that Merle’s wooden arm needed a trim anyway.

“Silverpoint.” Taako read. His throat felt dry as he thought back to Hurley, fading in Sloane’s arms. That had been silverpoint. That had been fatal.  
“No. I haven’t had the black marks.”

“Deadly-” Taako’s voice wavered. The word was one he’d thought of a hundred times, something he’d woken up in a cold sweat thinking of. But it wasn’t true. It hadn’t been that. He didn’t need to worry. He persevered. “Deadly Nightshade.”  
“I haven’t been throwing up, so that doesn’t sound right.”

Taako couldn’t read the next word. He knew what it said. But the word wouldn’t come out of his throat, where it sat like a five tonne weight.

Arsenic.

Angus hadn’t had arsenic. Taako knew what arsenic poisoning looked like. He felt sick thinking about it. You couldn’t really taste arsenic. None of the people at Glamour Springs could. The picture was one of black powder in an apothecary bottle. It looked familiar, in a way that a recurring nightmare felt familiar. The temporal chalice had shown him this exact bottle, but it had been half empty. 

Taako snapped out of his daydream when he felt Angus place his hand on his.

“We can stop if you like, Sir.”

Taako was going to make a joke, but his words got caught in his chest. He rubbed his eyes, trying to force tears back. It made his head hurt, but he was used to it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Angus asked, quietly.

Taako didn’t say anything. His hands were shaking. He felt like his chest was collapsing into itself, his heart was two sizes too big for space it was crammed in.

Fuck. Why was it bothering him now? They’d been looking at it for days. He’d been good at reading the words like they’d meant nothing, at just making the sounds and letting Angus do the work.

“No.” Taako said, decisively. He wanted to stand. But he couldn’t get his legs to move. His limbs felt distant, and like they weighed more than he could comprehend.

“Can I do anything to help?” Angus asked, sitting up straight in bed.

“No.” Taako gasped. There wasn’t enough air, not in the whole world. And that picture was still there. That arsenic bottle felt like it was burned into his mind. He kept his eyes closed, but it was still there. Still half empty.

There was a bang, which made Taako jump. The book was closed, and on the floor. Angus was trying to kick it under his bed, but his legs weren’t quite long enough to do it from his place sitting on the bed’s edge.

Once the book was finally out of the way, Angus sat facing Taako, a serious look on his face. Taako tensed as Angus leaned towards him. Angus noticed. He sat back in bed instead. 

The only sound was Taako’s heavy breathing.

“I’m sorry.” Angus’ voice was small.

Taako couldn’t find the words to respond, all he could think of was breathing.

“I really am so sorry Taako. All of this is my fault. If I’d been more careful with my investigations, there wouldn’t be anyone trying to get me. I don’t want to be a burden or put you in danger.”

Taako looked at Angus with a start. Angus wasn’t emotional. He was staring off into the distance somewhere.

“I left a lot of things behind when I came here. And some of them were pretty not great. I thought… if I was here, they wouldn’t hurt me. Or, I guess, that they couldn’t? And that was a bad idea.”

Angus ripped out a page of his notebook, and handed it to Taako, after hesitating for a moment. The page was old, written over in different inks and pencils. It was a list of names, dozens of them in tiny cursive writing.

“What is this?” Taako asked, confused.

“My mortal enemies, Sir.”

It would have been funny if Angus hadn’t looked so scared.

* * *

Taako waited until Angus was asleep to look over the list. He snuck it back to the Reclaimer’s Common Room, and sat reading over it. None of the names seemed particularly memorable to him. A few had titles like “the merry murderer” or “the shadow”, which Taako thought was a bit pretentious. Merle came in and sat down next Taako with a stupid grin on his face.

“How’s storytime going?” Merle said jokingly.

“Bite my butt Merle.” Taako snapped, not looking up.

“Sorry, mother hen, didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers.”

“How much fucking longer, Merle? The kid could be knocked over by a gust of wind. He hasn’t been outside in weeks.” Taako looked up from the list now.

“As long as it takes for him to get better.” Merle said, after a pause.

“What does that even mean?”

“Without the poison-”

“Balls to the poison!” Taako interrupted, “You’re a cleric, get dan or whatever to help him.”

“Pan, wiseguy.”

Merle sighed. It was a heavy world-weary one the Taako hadn’t heard from Merle before. Merle was generally a jokey guy. Even losing his arm had been a source of jokes in a matter of days. But he looked sad now. Tired. Like he’d been working non-stop. His face betrayed just how much he wished he could give Taako an easy answer.

“We’re doing what we can. Just… try and do the same.”

After a few movements of looking over Taako’s notes, Merle changed the subject.

“What is this… a hit list?”

“Angus’ enemies.” Taako said, dully.

“That pipsqueak has enemies? Didn’t know he had it in him,” Merle seemed oddly proud. “Why   
are you checking them out?”

“I dunno Merle, maybe his enemies happen not to like him, and would want to poison him?”

“Well, yeah. Not how I’d get rid of the squirt though.”

“The spanner. Yeah, you’ve mentioned.”

“There’s simpler ways is what I’m saying! Poison’s too messy. Anyone could eat it, and then you’ve got bodies everywhere to deal with.”

“Merle, I am painfully aware.”

“Shit. Sorry. I’m just saying, you’d poison something you know the kid’s going to eat. It was your lunch. Seems a bit… inaccurate.”

Taako’s blood ran cold, as the truth hit him like a tonne of bricks.

“It wasn’t mine.”

“Hmmm?”

“The food wasn’t mine. It was Magnus’. It was his leftovers. They weren’t trying to kill the kid at all… They were after Magnus.”


	6. Painful memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past can't hurt you, but sometimes it really tries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have uni work I should be writing... Oh well!
> 
> There is a little bit of violence in this part, at one point towards Angus, but it is very brief. I'm also working through my own insomnia issues through Angus. (Sorry Angus, I'm not suffering alone.)

It was a common joke that on the moon base, no-one could hear you scream.

Everyone heard this one.

Taako heard it first. He was meditating in his room, mind wandering through the abstract realm of thought. Things were strange and forgettable there, like a dream you could walk through. Snatches of memories were suspended around, and Taako could browse as he liked. He usually didn’t. It was easier to think about nothing. He’d find a particularly comfy nap or drunken date, and zone out for a few hours.

This was different.

At first, he thought it had been a memory of his. A caravan was set up in a market, windows open. A sign was painted on the top which said “Mirkwater Pies” in cheap paint. He’d been on so many, and there were few he wanted to remember. Things seemed off, but things always seemed off in the caravans. None of them were ever quite above board. This one was selling pies: pies that smelled utterly rancid when Taako got close to them. Not his. Even on his worst days he wouldn’t serve something so obviously putrid.

Behind the cart, someone was yelling. A deep, gruff voice that Taako could feel in his bones. When he peeked around the cart, all he could see was a brick wall of an orc. Taako was fairly tall, but this orc swamped him in size, seemingly built of pure muscle. Even from Taako’s view, which only showed the guy’s back, he could tell this guy was dangerous. The apron did nothing to diminish this.

“What are you doing snooping here?! You no good snot nosed kid, I should beat some damned manners into you.”

Taako considered backing out and avoiding further snooping into a memory not meant from him. But the orc got angrier and angrier.

“Who the fuck’s gonna believe you? A dumbass kid with no home going and telling stories. What’s stopping me from shutting you up? What?!”

The orc leaned down and picked up something.

That something was Angus, lifted by the lapels of his jacket.

“P-please! I just didn’t want anyone to get sick! It- it was a mistake!”

Angus looked very young, he couldn’t have been more than six or seven. His old round glasses were slipping off his face. His hair was shorter back then, and his freckles were more prominent. 

The orc pulled back a fist, as though about to strike. He got hit over the head with the handle of the umbra staff.

“Hey, your pies suck ass kemosabe. Maybe leave the cooking to experts?” Taako said with a glamorous smile and a wink. 

The dream world wasn’t real, and he knew that. Memories had to play out the way memories always did. He assumed showing up in a memory that he didn’t belong in would snap Angus out of his nightmare. That’s how it usually happened for Taako.

The orc dropped Angus in a heap, and grabbed Taako by the neck. Taako didn’t have time to think about how that was supposed to be impossible before he had his head slammed into the caravan. The whole world shifted out of focus for a moment as his ears rang, and he felt himself struggling to stay in his trance. When things came back to focus the orc was close to Taako’s face, breath hot and reeking of crappy ale.

The pressure on his neck was strange. It hurt, but not in the way it was supposed to. It was a numbness, like his leg falling asleep. He could breathe, but not comfortably. He could talk, but the words wouldn’t make sound. The dreamlike logic was bizarre, and far beyond Taako’s understanding.

“Don’t hurt him! Please, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I won’t tell anyone about you, Mirkwater.” Angus ran up to the orc, and pulled on the apron strings gently to get his attention. Taako couldn’t bare to look, knowing all too well how this would go. Angus let out a cry, and when Taako looked back Angus was sprawled on the ground, knees skinned and tears in his eyes. Taako tried to kick or send out a spell or do _anything_ but something about this memory wouldn’t let him move. Wouldn’t let him help. 

“That’s Sir, McDonald. Don’t you forget it.” The orc tightened his grip on Taako, and shook him violently. Taako could feel his grip on meditation loosening, his connection to this memory weakening. He wasn’t dying. But it sure as hell looked like he was.

“Angus, I’m okay. Listen to what I’m saying. I’m just fine. It’s a dream, it’s not real.” Taako spoke as clearly as he could manage, but no sound came out. His head fell limply on his shoulders. His hands dropped to his sides. He lost control over every part of himself. The orc dropped Taako like a sack of potatoes.

Angus ran over. He grabbed Taako’s wrist, struggling to keep his shaking under control enough to find a pulse. He didn’t find one.

Angus screamed.

Taako woke up with the scream. For a moment he thought he was still meditating, but the sound echoed and ebbed across the base. It was real.

He ran past other bureau members opening their doors in tired confusion. He ran across the giant empty quad. He ran more than he ever had for the relics or anything else he could remember. When he got to the medical bay he thought his legs were going to drop off.

He had to throw himself to the floor to avoid a blast of fire.

Angus was backed into the corner, wand outstretched. His hair was greasy ratty mess, and he had sweat and tears pouring down his face. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, which probably accounted for his shitty aim. His eyes were wide and manic, jumping around the room at every shadow.

“Angus?” Taako asked cautiously, not getting up.

“Stay back!” Angus shouted, releasing another bout of flame from his wand. “You can’t hurt them! I won’t let you!”

The kid was burning too many spell slots and it showed. He was already exhausted, and the delirium was making it worse. His spells were unstable, and left scorch marks on the walls around him. 

“It’s Taako, kiddo, watch where you’re aiming!” Taako yelled from his spot on the floor, before crawling behind a bed for some kind of protection.

“You… you killed… I won’t… Shut up!” Angus stumbled over his words, barely able to speak over his violent sobbing. He whipped the wand sideways, a mage hand throwing the blankets of the bed in front of Taako across the room.

Magnus rushed in, closely followed by Merle. The two of them glanced over at Taako cowering behind the bed in confusion.

“Don’t just stand there with your thumbs up your asses, help him!” Taako yelled,

Magnus stormed right over to Angus, which was clearly a mistake. Magnus took a fireball directly to the chest. He wasn’t wearing his armour, just an old t-shirt and pajama bottoms. The shirt was smouldering, but it was like Magnus didn’t even notice. He wrapped his arms around Angus, and held him tight. He carefully plucked the wand out of Angus’ hand, and dropped it on the floor.

Angus didn’t calm down. He was still screaming himself hoarse, and wriggling against Magnus’ grip with all his might. He kicked as hard as he could, landing several good blows to Magnus’ gut. Magnus looked terrified, but more out of concern that Angus would hurt himself than anything else.

“Merle, you mind doing some cleric shit? Before Angus beats the shit out of me?”

“Oh, right. Uh, I’m casting Calm Emotion!”

The change over Angus was instant. He went limp in Magnus’ arms. A weak smile faded onto Angus’ face, but there was something unnerving about it. Angus’ eyes were heavy lidded, and he looked from Merle to Taako with a mild bewilderment. With all the care a person would take carrying a baby, Magnus walked Angus back over to the bed. Taako quickly gathered up the blankets, and helped tuck Angus back in bed.

“I’m sorry Sirs. That was very strange.”

“That’s one word for it.” Merle said, walking up to the end of the bed.

“I’m just so very tired. Maybe I should take a nap…” Angus said, lying back. His breathing was faint.

“No.” Taako’s voice was trying to be harsh but he couldn’t maintain it. “That’s an order from your magic teacher. You fall asleep and you fuckin’ fail wizardy shit. All of it.”

Angus laughed faintly. “You don’t mean that Sir.”

“Don’t try me.”

Things were bad. As bad as they could be before they couldn’t be any worse. Taako and Merle hadn’t said anything to Magnus about him being the real target. They’d decided to keep it under wraps. Magnus didn’t talk about his past much. He didn’t like to, but it was more than that. 

He didn’t have to.

Magnus Burnsides had a bounty, set by a Governor who was deposed several years ago. Details were sketchy, and Merle and Taako had thought that was for the best. It wasn’t their business, if Magnus decided not to tell them. The fact was that people were out to kill Magnus for money.

Merle and Taako had spent the day down in Neverwinter, leaving Magnus to keep an eye on Angus. Whoever had poisoned the food had to have done it through slight of hand, dipping into Taako’s bag and leaving the poison there. By the end of the day, they’d gotten a few promising places to check out. A few alchemists, a few thieves, one or two old guards from Ravensroost.

They didn’t know what to do with the information. They’d decided to sleep on it, and create a plan tomorrow.

But things had gone too far to keep hiding stuff. Angus didn’t have long. Sparing Magnus’ feelings about the past was meaningless since Angus’ suffering hurt him so much.

Taako gave Merle a look, and asked Merle to get his bag from his room. It had all they knew from the investigation. It wasn’t much.

“Angus, Magnus. I need to tell you something, and boy, it’s some real heavy shit. So get your asses ready.” Taako took a deep breath. “No-one’s trying to kill you Angus. It’s a stupid fucking mistake. The food you ate… Well, it was for Magnus.”

“That’s why the poison only hurt humans?” Angus asked quietly.

“I guess. I mean, sure. Mags was travelling with me and half pint. He’s the only one worth anything, they didn’t want any collateral damage.” Under his breath, Taako added, “They fucked that up for sure.”

“So we have to start over?” Even with calm emotion, hints of panic seemed to seep into Angus’ question.

“No.” Magnus had been silent. His face was unreadable, which was in itself upsetting. Magnus was an open book. You could tell how Magnus felt across the room. But now, it was like nothing. His voice was dour, crushingly serious. “There’s only one person it can be.”

“There’s a few. Turns out killing for money is popular shit.” Taako said.

“Of course he’s not doing it himself. He’s the same coward he was…” Magnus trailed off, thoughts elsewhere. After a few seconds, he realised something. “How long have you known about this?”

“Two days, max.” Taako wished Merle would come back quicker.

“How could you not tell me?!”

“I don’t know, Mr “Magnus rushes in”, maybe we thought it would be harder to work incognito with the guy on the wanted poster. And if you killed the guy, we’d never get a cure! We wanted to tell you Mags. But losing you _and_ Angus is fucking pointless, I’m not doing it.” Taako realised his mouth was running faster than he could keep track of, and the last sentence rushed out before his brain could get to it.

Merle came back at this point, carrying Taako’s bag over on shoulder. It dragged on the floor behind him.

“Looking at the faces in here, I’m guessing we’re all up to speed?” Merle said, handing the bag to Taako.

“Thanks Merle, your help was invaluable.” Taako said sarcastically, looking through his bag.

“Taako…” Magnus began, but Taako talked over him. They weren’t talking about this. Not right now.

Taako dumped out the paper he had on the end of Angus’ bed. The notes were terrible, but they had their own sense of order. Angus began to look over them, but it was clear he wasn’t reading them. His eyes weren’t tracking across the paper. He looked like he was thinking very hard. Magnus rustled through a few of them, and then stopped, with a frown.

“Taako, what is this?” Magnus held up a page of the notes. It was about some duo of alchemists down in Neverwinter, called Jay and Seyfried. Taako had heard about them in a bar, and how they had been looking for work. He had mentioned he was after an antidote for an unknown poison, and their name had come up a few times.

The note at the bottom was written in red, and in handwriting far neater than Taako’s. He’d never seen it before and realised with a sinking feeling that they’d snuck into his bag again.

“Bring Burnsides to the empty Applecheek Warehouse in South Neverwinter.  
We want to trade.  
-Seyfried”


	7. No-one knows how to haggle these days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys fail to make a plan, and somehow make a deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to take a break from this soon for the sake of university work, so enjoy it while you can!
> 
> Jay's name is taken from the wonderful monstercapitalism on tumblr, check them out!
> 
> Nothing to put a warning down for except for sadness.

“No.” Taako said.

“What else can we do?” Magnus didn’t sound like he was asking a question.

“Anything? Look, I’m the king of shitty uninformed decisions. They’re like, my whole jam. But this? This is fucking suicide. Actually, this is worse than suicide, because you’re probably going to get real fucked up before they kill you.” Taako pointed at Magnus, who was already getting to his feet.

“That shit bag took my whole family. He’s not taking this one too.” 

“Yes, yes, I get that. Tragic backstory and all that. But Magnus, think about it for one second. We don’t know these guys. Merle and I aren’t exactly muscle, we’re not going to be able to break you out if they’re… y’know… competent? I’m saying this deal might be one time thing.”

“So?”

“Magnus, they’ll _kill_ you.”

“Rather me than Angus.”

“Holy shit.” Merle muttered. He had been taking a notable backseat in this conversation, trying not to get involved. Now he stared at Magnus in shock.

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it? I was supposed to eat that food. And I’ve had a good run, considering.”

“You’re in your fucking thirties!” Merle said.

“It’s different for humans.”

“Don’t pull that shit on me. Even if it was, I’m calling bullshit by the way, killing yourself isn’t going to help anyone. Who’s to say they won’t fake an antidote? How are you going to help Angus if you’re dead? Spoiler alert, you can’t!” Taako jabbed an accusing finger into Magnus’ chest. He quickly withdrew it since his shirt was still hot from the fireball.

“Tell me what else we can do.” Magnus said. His jaw was set, as though he was holding back a flood of feelings with his teeth alone.

Taako didn’t know. And a quick look at Merle suggested that he didn’t know either.

“I’ll hang back at first. Let you make the deal. Once we’ve got what we need, we can try and take them by surprise. Hell, we take on bigger guys everyday.” Magnus laughed, but it sounded hollow. They would expect an escape, but what other options did they have?

“Can’t we call in the Reclaimers? I’m sure Killian could kick their asses.” Merle said.

“If they think something’s up, they’ll abandon the deal. We can’t risk that.” Magnus said.

There was a silence that all of them wanted to fill. There was nothing to say.

“I guess we’re doing this.” Taako said.

“Guess so.” Magnus said, getting up.

“Ah, why not.” Merle shrugged. “You better make it back from this Mags, cause you still owe me like… twenty gold.”

* * *

The Applecheek Warehouse was in a bad part of Neverwinter, and had been abandoned for several years. It was huge brick of a building, unlit against the late evening. Merle lead the way, Magnus remaining a few steps behind Taako. 

Taako was carrying Angus. Well, he was levitating Angus, but he made it look like he was carrying the kid. He was resting gently in Taako’s arms, but felt weightless. They hadn’t wanted to bring him. But there was no other way to know that any antidote they could get would work. It went unsaid that Angus probably didn’t have enough time left to wait for them to come back.

Merle knocked on the metal door with his wooden hand. The terrible sound echoed. A shout came from inside the warehouse, inviting them in. 

“This is a bad idea, Sir, I-” Angus was talking quickly and quietly until Taako shushed him.

“Hush up kid. Not much longer.” Taako said gently, as they walked into the warehouse. He wrapped his cloak over Angus as best as he could trying to keep him warm. Taako wished he could cast sleep on Angus and save the hysterics, but after the last nightmare he couldn’t. The kid was in for shitty time either way.

The warehouse was mostly empty, cider barrels lined up along the walls. The machinery had been long since removed, and replaced with dozens of shelves. The contents were glass jars, filled with all kinds of powders and liquids in all colours. In the dim lighting, some of them looked like they were alive.

They walked towards the only source of light, dozens of tall candles arranged around what looked like a doctor’s office. There was a plain bed set up in the corner, with thin paper sheets draped over it. In the very middle of this room, an apothecary table was set up, groaning under the weight of books and bottles. A young elf woman was working away at it and only looked up when Merle cleared his throat.

“Oh! Hello. Can I help you?” She looked up with a smile. Her long pinkish hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she had smudges of various colours all over her face. A red handkerchief was tied over her mouth to keep fumes away from her, but she pulled it down to talk to them.

“We’re here to trade.” Merle said bluntly.

“Oh.” Her long ears drooped at hearing this, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Did you bring Magnus?”

Magnus coughed quietly from the back of the group. Maybe his stealth training was working, because he seemed almost invisible. For a huge fighter, he looked very small here. The blade of Railsplitter shone in the candlelight, as he held the handle tight.

“Right. Right, right, right.” She seemed flustered at the sight of Magnus. She fiddled with a few items of her desk somewhat frantically before picking up a stone of far speech.

“Seyfried, they’re here. They have him.”

She received a one word answer and put the stone back on the table. After a moment of hesitation, she worked up the nerve to ask a question.

“What is it you want to trade? Gold, poisons, property?” 

“Fix your mistake.” Taako said, bitterly.

“Mistake?” She seemed confused.

Taako stepped closer to her, sweeping his cape aside. Her reaction to the sight of Angus was instant. She jumped to her feet, the chair she was sitting in falling on the floor with a slam. The noise echoed through the warehouse endlessly. Her hands, sooty and patched with plasters, flew to her mouth in shock. She allowed herself three seconds.

Then she rushed to Angus. Taako stepped back from her as she tried to place a hand on Angus’ forehead. She instead wrung her hands, peering at Angus from all angles.

“Oh… Oh, you poor dear. I can’t imagine…”

“We can.” Merle said, arms crossed.

She looked at Merle, tears pooling in her eyes. She took in his clothes, the extreme teen bible tucked under his arm, and took a sharp breath. A cleric couldn’t help him. She rushed to the bed and quickly patted it with one hand.

Taako looked at Magnus and Merle for approval, then walked over and placed Angus down on the bed. Taako watched with suspicion as the elf woman examined Angus, checking his arms and neck.

“My name’s Jay, kid. You’re going to be alright. What’s your name?” She asked with slightly panicked voice.

“That’s on a need to know basis ‘Jay’, so forget it.” Taako said, speaking over Angus. The kid didn’t need anymore enemies.

“Ok. I’m guess I’m just gonna call you... Peaches. What happened, Peaches?”

“If we knew that we wouldn’t be here!” Merle shouted. 

“Look, assume for the sake of time that all your questions? Go through us. As far as you’re concerned the kid can’t talk.” Taako snapped.

“Fine. How long has it been?” Jay asked.

“He ate it the day after _you _poisoned it.” Taako said.__

__“How much did he eat?”_ _

__“All of it.” Magnus said._ _

__Jay nodded grimly, and walked over to some of the shelves at the edge of the room. She picked out a few jars, and carried them over to the apothecary table. With impressive dexterity, she mixed the items in a single cohesive movement in a large bowl. She crushed things and burned mixtures, she added water and swirled steam. She whispered enchantments, her eyes burning a bright purple as she focused completely on the mixture._ _

__Merle remained close to Magnus while they watched this process. It was difficult not to be distracted by it. It was several minutes of intense work, and after an incredibly over complicated series of test tubes and sieves she produced a small vial of green liquid. She rushed back over to the bed, but stopped herself short of giving it to Angus._ _

__“I promise you it’s safe. I made the whole thing in front of you, and I swear, I never wanted-”_ _

__“Give it to him.” Taako said, firmly. He needed this ordeal to be over._ _

__A green mage hand swiped the vial from her hand, and rolled it between their fingers._ _

__“Now hold on, Jay.” A grizzly voice came from the shadows, the mage hand retracting towards it. The vial dropped out of the green hand, and into the grey palm of a human man who had just entered the room. “This isn’t quite a trade, is it?”_ _

__He strolled towards them, rolling the vial between his hands. He was around Magnus’ age, with thin brown hair and a build that once had been muscular but had withered with apathy. He shot an uninterested glance at Taako, Angus and Merle._ _

__But when he looked at Magnus, he smiled._ _

__“Hello again, Burnsides. We missed you in Ravensroost.”_ _


	8. The Burden of Burnsides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go very wrong, very quick.
> 
> And then they get worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap I have so many other things I need to be doing so I'm trying to get this wrapped up before university drags me away for a month straight.
> 
> This bit has quite a bit of blood and violence (including electrocution at one point), but nothing too explicit.
> 
> I'm sorry for hurting LITERALLY EVERYONE in this part. Just zeroing in on everyone's insecurities.

Magnus tightened his grip on Railsplitter, but said nothing. 

Jay was speaking so fast the words blended together. “Seyfried, you promised me that no-one else would get hurt. I made this for Magnus, I specified every measurement in advance, you _promised_ -”

Seyfried put up a single finger, silencing her. “This is hardly polite. We’re not all acquainted. After all, I’m sure you neglected to ask for their names.”

Jay looked conflicted, tears burning in her eyes and her hands tense. 

“I thought as much. My name is Seyfried, former head enchanter of Ravensroost. I was the very best at what I did, but of course... you changed all that, didn’t you Burnsides?”

“Give us the antidote.” Merle growled, hand resting on his bible. It was a surprisingly threatening pose.

“This must be Merle Hichurch. Funny, when I was researching your little gang, I couldn’t find anything on you. Not even an attempt to search for you after you left your old life. And trust me when I say I’m very good at searching. I suppose there wasn’t anything worth finding.”

Merle started turning a violent shade of red, gripping his bible tightly. But Magnus placed a hand on his shoulder, and Merle did nothing. Seyfried smiled at this, and turned to Taako. Taako pointed his umbrella at Seyfried, not caring how unthreatening this must have looked.

“And this is Taako. I half remembered you, from some god awful show back in Ravensroost. We all said it was only a matter of time before your show fell through. You know, I was relieved when you showed up with Burnsides. If he died, it wouldn’t have been hard to frame you. What’s one more poisoning to someone like you?”

Taako laughed. It sounded terrible, like the sound was dragging up water from his lungs. He did not lower his umbrella. Seyfried raised an eyebrow, and approached Jay. 

“And who is this?” He said, tilting his head to look around her. She took a step into his view.

“Seyfried. He’s just a child, please.” Jay’s voice was soft, pleading. Seyfried pushed her aside gently, ignoring her cries. He crouched down next to Angus, their faces inches apart.

“What’s your name?” He asked.

Angus stumbled on words, struggling to stay lucid. 

“His name’s Peaches.” Jay interrupted, flashing a glance at Taako. Taako nodded slightly, lowering his umbrella. The tension was suffocating. 

There was a bang, and Jay was on the floor. She was holding her nose, and trying to look away from everyone. It was quiet enough to hear the dripping of blood from her chin. Seyfried was straightening up, cracking his knuckles. Magnus gripped Railsplitter so hard it looked as though he was trying to split it in half.

“Now, I didn’t ask you, did I? I asked him,” Seyfried went back to Angus’ level, “Who are you?” 

Angus, still incredibly neutral though Calm Emotion must have long since faded, took a deep breath. He forced himself to look Seyfried in the eye, even as he lay exhausted.

“‘M the world’s best detective.” He mumbled this, with a smile.

“And I suppose these three are your… assistants? A flock of bumbling Watsons at an eight year old’s beck and call?”

“Ten.” Angus stated.

“Ten.” Seyfried stated, looking back at Magnus. “You’re recruiting early these days, aren’t you?”

“You have what you want, leave the kid out of it.” Magnus said, taking a step forward. Seyfried stuck a hand out towards him without looking, a bolt of lightning shooting across the room. Magnus narrowly avoided it, and it hit a row of shelves which kicked up a huge cloud of powder.

“No! You owe me so much Burnsides. You have no idea how much pain I - we - went through because of you!”

“I tried to protect y-” Magnus was yelling, but his voice was hoarse. He eyes wouldn’t leave Angus, who Seyfried still had one hand on.

“Liar!” Seyfried interrupted. “You were the leader of our rebellion. You supposed to protect us! He was after you. If you’d been there I would still have family. Jay and I were the only magical craftsmen to survive. I lost everything and for what? For you to run around like some cut rate adventurer?”

“I lost everything. Don’t you dare-” Magnus said raising Railsplitter.

“Think. For once in your life Burnsides.” Seyfried had electricity jumping between his fingers, with his hand close to Angus’s face. The light flickered in the reflection of his glasses. “I’m owed some suffering. It’s either yours, or it’s the kid’s.”

There was a heavy clunk as Magnus let go of Railsplitter. Taako and Merle looked at Magnus in cold horror.

“Fine. Do what you want. Just… don’t hurt him.” 

Seyfried smiled, and stepped away from Angus. He walked over to Magnus, who held out a hand to shake. Seyfried took it.

The power of the electricity was so strong that Merle felt his hair stand on end. Magnus didn’t even scream. He spasmed so hard he couldn’t make any sound. He fell to his knees, but Seyfried placed his other hand on Magnus’ arm to steady the hand shake. The power doubled, the metal of Magnus’ armour and shield sending off blue sparks. Magnus’ eyes began to roll back in his head, losing consciousness.

Merle cast a healing spell. He’d tried to be subtle, but that wasn’t a strong point of his. As Seyfried let go of Magnus, there was a dull gold glow that washed over him. It did very little. Magnus collapsed in a heap, twitching. Seyfried turned his attention to Merle.

“No-one wants you here Hichurch. Mind your own business.” Seyfried said, hitting Merle across the face with a powerful punch. Seyfried was not a strong man, but the lightning still raced across his hands, launching Merle across the room. He hit more shelves, kicking up dust. After several seconds of hard coughing, the dust cleared. The glass had left several cuts on Merle’s face and arms, and he was trapped in the debris of what had been shelf. He was awake, but only barely.

“It’s always the same, Burnsides. You make people sacrifice themselves for you. The kid and dwarf are just the latest in a long line. Julia was much better off before you-”

Magnus, with what little strength he had, grabbed Seyfried’s ankle and pulled. It wasn’t enough. Seyfried kicked the hand off, and landed the tip of his boot in Magnus’ face. There was a crunch.

“That just won’t do. Pain really isn’t anything to you. If I’m taking you into the Governor, I need to know you’re under control. Can’t have you doing things like that.” Seyfried thought for a moment. “I’m sure the Governor would find the kid very interesting. Maybe we should bring him along?”

“No!” Magnus spat the word through a mouthful of thick blood. 

“Or maybe I’ll just kill him. Save us from the… complexities of trade.” Seyfried said, picking at his nails.

Magnus dragged himself to his knees. “Please. I won’t… I won’t resist. Let them go.”

Seyfried placed a hand on Magnus’ head. And Magnus felt a cold force seep through his mind, winding into his every movement like sharp breeze. He could have fought it, perhaps even won. But he didn’t. He was giving in. He had to. It didn’t feel like giving up.

“That’s better.” Seyfried’s voice was echoing in Magnus’ head. “No need to worry.”

And with Magnus completely under his possession, Seyfried sent a fireball towards the bed that had Angus in it.


	9. The things we learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Families are fundamental, not always in a good way. Sometimes you just find them by accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearing the end now. There's something of an epilogue I'm planning that's cute enough to make up for this heavy, heavy chapter.
> 
> Scenes in this are reminiscent of domestic abuse, there is some violence in this. Be aware.

The smoke cleared. Magnus had no control of his eyes and was forced to watch as the charred remains of the bed came into view.

Angus and Jay weren’t there. Taako was.

Taako rushed in. Taako took the big hit.

One thing was for sure: Taako was really fucking bad at it.

He was out cold. The tip of his hat was still on fire. His umbrella had flung across the room somewhere. He’d been smart enough to use the umbrella to absorb most of the most of the fire, but it’s power had come out in other ways, bruises on his face and arms where the umbrella’s handle had slipped from his grip. 

Seyfried looked disappointed. He raised his hand to fire again, but stopped. He looked at his hand for a moment. He opened both palms in front of him.

There was no vial.

There was a small wooden duck instead.

Magnus could sense how angry Seyfried was within his mind, a white hot fire of rage. And he was scared.

* * *

It had been the kid’s plan. Jay was amazed at how brave he was. He’d looked death in the eye and smiled. When she saw the figurine in his hand, the same size and curves of the vial, she’d almost given him away. But she gave him a distraction, she’d loosened Seyfried’s grip.

Her handkerchief couldn’t exactly get more red. She just hoped Seyfried hadn’t broken her nose this time.

She couldn’t waste anytime. As soon as Seyfried gave his attention to Magnus, she beckoned Taako over.

“Cover us,” she whispered. 

Taako slowly nodded, standing between Seyfried and the bed. He tapped his umbrella on the floor, as close to a staff as he could. He kept his eyes on Magnus and Merle, but whispered one final message.

“Don’t fuck it up.”

She had ducked behind the bed, carrying the kid with her. Hidden behind the wooden frame, she uncorked the bottle and tried to ignore the acrid smell it sent out.

“I’m not going to lie, Peaches, this going to suck. But I’m right here.”

She poured the contents into his mouth. He grimaced, and hiccupped. It looked as though he was about to throw up, but Jay held his mouth shut.

“Quiet as possible, understood?” It killed her that she couldn’t comfort him. 

God knows how he managed it. It must have been agony. He gripped her arm so tight it left pink marks against her skin. He shook terribly. His mouth was clamped shut, out of fear he would make a sound, but every time he took a breath wisps of grey smoke streaked with black came out. He was completely silent. He must have dealt with a lot of pain in the past.

He was ten.

Honestly, she hadn’t been much older back when Ravensroost had collapsed. She’d liked to pretend elves grew up later because they lived longer. She didn’t believe it anymore. This child was more of an adult than her. He even patted her on the arm reassuringly when he saw her crying.

“Thank you, ma’am.” He said. His voice was barely audible. 

She shook her head, unable to find the words. He was _thanking_ her.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered back.

There was a violent crash, and Jay pulled Angus closer on instinct. She risked a quick glance around the bed. The dwarf man, Merle, was on the other side of the room, buried in a shelf. Taako shot a glance back at her, his face pleading for advice. She shrugged, empty. 

There was a crunch, one that Jay realised with a sick stomach that she recognised. A broken nose. She touched her own, thinking absently about the fact she had a secret supplies of salves just for this. She had done for a long time. Too long.

She felt the fireball. Taako’s umbrella did an excellent job. To her, it little more than a warm breeze. But the force of the spell hit harder than the heat. Eventually it pushed Taako backwards, smacking his head hard against the bed. His umbrella flew past Jay, landing about arms length from them both.

The kid saw this, and tried to jolt out of her arms. She had to pull him back.

“You can’t help him right now.”

“But-”

“We need to leave.” She was already looking around in panic, hoping to see a door that hadn’t been there every other time she’d looked.

“They’re my family.” He held her hand, gently. Jay could see herself in the reflection of his glasses, blood pasted down her chin and fear in her eyes. 

Family was what started all this. When had it disappeared?

She stood up. Slow, with more calm than she felt. She saw Magnus, looking at her with vacant eyes. Seyfried was raging, his own gaze white hot. For this first time, she didn’t flinch.

“Let Magnus go.”

Seyfried choked a surprised laugh. “Give me the boy.”

“Magnus was always good to us. He was friendly. He helped us move into the column.”

“He left us to die.” Seyfried didn’t move, but Magnus gasped in pain. Jay did not react, however much she wanted to.

“He let us _live_. I may not have been old enough to understand the rebellion but I know things were better after it happened. I’ve lost enough to the Governor’s greed.” Jay took a step closer, picked up a bottle from her desk as she approached. “I will not sell him the last of my compassion.”

“Burnsides killed his wife. He left her to die so he could escape.” Seyfried was unstable, a few crackling rements of fire and lightning sparking across his body without form.

“How dare you!” Jay came closer, her eyes a furious purple. “You knew Julia. Just like I did. You saw her drag people from the wreckage. She tried _everything_ to save people. She died trying to protect people like you.”

Jay was nose to nose with Seyfried when she spat, “I wish she’d left you behind.”

“I am your family!” Seyfried was screaming at her, and she could see in the corner of her mind Magnus relaxing. Seyfried’s focus was elsewhere.

“Some family! Magnus made a family. He tried to rebuild. All you’ve done is stew in the guilt that you didn’t save people. You dragged me down with you. I have been trapped here, with you poisoning me against everything, for years.”

She whipped the bottle in her hand at his face, full force. He stumbled backwards as it broke, choking on the thick black smoke that poured from the bottle.

“It’s your turn to be poisoned.”

Next to her, Magnus gulped in a huge breath. He fell on his hands and knees, taking huge sobbing breaths. She crouched next to him, placing a tentative hand on his back.

“I’m so sorry, Magnus. You didn’t deserve this.”

There was no time to help him up. Seyfried was up again, eyes streaming. He was screaming unintelligibly, shooting electricity at random. It surged through the room, encircling Merle and Taako as well as Magnus and Jay. Jay fell to the ground, praying that it would be over quickly.

It was not a new prayer.

The room was nothing but screaming: even Merle and Taako who were far from consciousness let out instinctual sounds of pain. 

“Sir?”

The lightning stopped. The room looked over, and saw the umbrella in the hands of someone barely taller than it. He held the handle in both hands, and was shaking. He leaned on it heavily, using it to get up from his hiding spot behind the bed.

“My name’s Angus McDonald.” 

He pointed the umbrella squarely as Seyfried.

“Abraka fuck you!” 

Whatever spell Angus had meant to use was not the one that came out. The umbrella glowed red hot. The fireball was bigger than Angus, knocking him back from the sheer weight of the spell. Seyfried was lost in seconds. The glass jars didn’t fare much better. Everything was absorbed in the intense white light.

* * *

Angus wasn’t sure how they got outside. When he finally came to, they were sitting by the river, the blazing warehouse reflected in the water in front of him. Poisonous looking clouds swirled with purple and red and gold reached up into the sky, hiding the moon. Angus was in Magnus’s lap, along with Merle. Taako was leaning against them. All three were unconscious. Angus found a scrap of paper was tied to his hand with a red handkerchief.

It read:  
“I am going to find my own family.  
I’m sorry for what I did to yours.  
While there’s nothing I can do to make it up to you, I can only promise:  
I’m going to do better.  
Jay”

Angus held the paper against his chest and breathed clearly for this first time in weeks. He looked at the reflection, his _family_ , beneath the smoke. He followed the smoke, up, up into the sky. He looked at the moon peeking through the smoke in slivers. For a moment, Angus just existed.

Then he pressed the button on his bracer.


	10. Epilogue 1: Keeping it short

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short epilogue between the short boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets an epilogue because procrastination is my life.
> 
> Merle is a man of few words, so his epilogue consists of few words. 
> 
> Merle's lack of self esteem hurts my heart.

It was so like them to not co-ordinate waking up.

Merle was awake before they made it back it base. He jumped to attention and pulled against his seat belt like it was trying to suffocate him. The view from the orb was only of smoke, which swirled around them in a nauseating way. It didn’t help that the room was actually spinning. He spun the chair too quickly and tried not to hurl.

The other chairs were occupied. Magnus leaned back in his chair, arms practically brushing the ground. He was covered in soot and splatters of blood. His breathing was steady and slow, except for the occasional twitch. Taako was also out cold, his hair all over his face. His clothes were still emitting some smoke, and his face was patched with red. Merle started wrestling with his seat belt to get up, but noticed a fourth presence in the room.

Without a chair to take, Angus was sitting at the back of the pod. He was half asleep, holding onto Taako’s umbrella. He also had a small pile of singed looking items beside him. He had Steven the goldfish in one hand, who was swimming lazily in his tiny sphere. The sphere was smudged with black marks, one of the items that hadn’t faired too well in the flames. Merle picked out the sight of his bible in the pile: an early save from the flames, judging from how complete the pages were. Merle realised something and then looked at his wooden arm with a bit of hesitation.

Ah. A few days would have it grow back to full size, he was sure.

“Oh, Sir!” Angus said suddenly, looking up from where was sleeping.

“Shit. Is it too late for me to pretend I’m still sleeping?” Merle grumbled, but was cut off by Angus’ throwing his arms around him.

“I’m so glad you’re okay Sir! I had to get you all in here and put your seat belts on and I was so worried that I was going to hurt you because my grandpa always said you should never move someone who’s hurt and I don’t really know any first aid-”

“Woah kid, breathe. Don’t make me waste a spell slot on ya.” Merle said, awkwardly tapping Angus on the back. 

“I’m just glad you’re here.” Angus said it quietly, before stepping out of the hug and burying his concentration in the view through the window.

“You’re not too bad yourself, Ango.” Merle said, nonchalantly. And the moment was over when Merle leaned back in his chair.

But it was the first time Merle had heard someone say that. And it was far from the last time he thought about it.


	11. Epilogue 2: Not my worst battlescar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angus learned his bedside manner from his patients.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Magnus' epilogue! AKA. Julia is more than her death.
> 
> Don't know when Taako's part will be up, I can't really justify the time right now.

Magnus woke up with a shout. His lungs were useless, his breath tasted of smoke. He was starving, but the thought of food made him feel sick.

Where was he? Where was everyone?

He was in a bed too thin to be his. It groaned as he shifted his weight. The smell of citrus and cleaning materials bit through the air. Magnus was distantly aware of bandages wrapped around his hands and arms, but he didn’t care. Taako was in the bed next to him, tucked in neatly. He looked pale and unnervingly calm as he slept. Merle was sleeping in the next bed down, wooden arm noticeably thinner.

Angus wasn’t there.

Magnus’ mind reeled. He was kicking the covers off the bed before his thoughts formed into anything solid. He’d fucked up again. He’d let them down, left them to fight his battles for him. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He couldn’t go through it again. He still didn’t know how he went through it the first time. There’d been no-one left to break the news to, last time. And as awful as that was, it was easier to bare the guilt when he didn’t have to share it.

How was going to tell them that Angus was gone?

Magnus felt himself pitch forward on the edge of the bed. He felt his head throb with the weight of thoughts he couldn’t bring himself to understand. Something stopped him, a glow of magic wrapped around him.

“Please be careful Sir! I’m a very small boy and I can’t lift you if you start falling over all the time.”

Angus was wearing his neat clothes once again. His sweater vest and shorts were freshly pressed. His cap with a feather in it was resting on the arm of the desk chair, along with his blazer. His hair was clean, and his eyes seemed brighter than they’d been in days. He placed his wand back on its lanyard, the levitation spell that had it’s grip on Magnus faded.

“Now please sit down, Sir, before you get- oh!” Magnus had grabbed Angus, lifting him off his feet before tousling his hair affectionately.

“Ango! Oh thank the gods!” Magnus shook Angus side to side in a close hug. Magnus suddenly realised his strength and set him Angus down, with a gentle apology. His glasses were askew and he gingerly straightened them.

“I’m ok Sir. Please, sit down properly.” Angus seemed anxious for Magnus to get back in bed.

Magnus looked over the other beds, with a concerned look.

“They’re both okay Sir. They just need a rest, same as you do.” Angus pulled on Magnus’ arm, getting him to sit down. They sat side by side on the bed.

“Are they…?” Magnus didn’t finish his sentence.

“They’ll be just fine Sir.” Angus insisted. After a moment, Angus added, “How are you?”

“And how are you Ango?” Magnus asked, ignoring the question.

Angus shifted his stance slightly, uncomfortable. He was hiding his hands behind his back. Magnus gave him a look, and Angus held them out. They were bandaged poorly, obviously done by Angus when he thought no-one was looking. Magnus carefully unpicked the strips of fabric, careful not to touch Angus’ hands. Magnus winced when he saw them.

There were burns from the fire, slightly faded from a few days of healing. Magnus was surprised to realise he recognised the pattern etched in Angus’ palm: a few symbols from the handle of Taako’s umbrella.

“Geez Ango, you need to get these checked out.”

“It’s quite alright Sir. They’re not my worst battle scars.” Angus said this with a smile. But Magnus felt it hit him somewhere deep inside him, sharp and unwelcome. He found the emotion swelling back up inside him. It was his fault. They’d been hurt because of him, _for_ him. What did he do to deserve it?

“Don’t joke about that Angus. You could’ve been really hurt.”

“I wasn’t hurt.”

“That doesn’t matter. What if you hadn’t found the umbrella? What then?” Magnus put his hands on Angus’ shoulders, and looked the kid in the eye. “I couldn’t protect you. Or Merle or Taako. I failed. And I could never forgive myself if I-”

“Deep breaths, Sir.” Angus said this in a measured voice, well practiced. “Try and stay calm.”

Magnus realised that he was talking very quickly, and that he hadn’t taken in any air since he started talking. He took in a long breath through his nose and out through his mouth. 

“I don’t know what happened to you before. But it… It isn’t you Magnus. You’re a goof and you play real good pranks and can know lots about dogs and you make amazing things from wood and... “ Angus was silent for a moment as he thought about what to say. “You’re a real good person Sir.”

There was a few seconds, before Angus said something else.

“Magnus, can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“What was Julia like?”

Magnus felt like he’d been stabbed in the chest. It must have showed because Angus back pedaled like crazy.

“Oh, I’m sorry Sir, I don’t want to intrude, I was just so curious-”

“No, no. It’s okay.” The weird thing was that it really was okay. He hadn’t talked about her to anyone for so long. And the only time anyone talked to him about her was about her death. And that wasn’t fair to her.

“Julia was… wonderful. She was everything to me.” Magnus felt his eyes getting misty, but he powered through. “Beautiful, but more than that. She was smart, the way you’re smart. Oh, she would’ve loved you, Ango.”

Angus would have loved her too. Magnus wished she was here. She would have been kick ass aunt to Angus. She would been much better at wrapping fresh bandages around Angus’ hands. But as it went, Angus didn’t seem to mind. He listened intently, which made Magnus realise he wasn’t going anywhere with this description.

“Want to hear about the time she took down thirty guards using a couple of paint cans and a piece of string?”

“Oh, yes please Sir!”


	12. Epilogue 3: Bedtime Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako sleeps. Angus closes one book and opens another.

Taako had one foot in sleep and another in reality. He was asleep to all those that looked in, and that was the way he liked it. The little glimpses he got into reality? They sucked. They sucked real hard.

He got a few sensations. Most of them were pain. Definitely some burns. Probably a few broken ribs. Magical healing didn’t erase the pain as easily as the injury. Especially if you were as shitty at it as Merle.

Taako listened in. It was disappointing. There wasn’t any good dirt at all. Lots of boring medical stuff, not even embarrassing. A few days passed with dull emptiness. Taako dreamed, in the way that people who don’t sleep dream.

It was a sound that pulled him out. A sound so quiet it barely registered over in the dream realm. A soft thud of someone sitting on the bed beside him. Pages turning. A quiet cough to clear his throat.

“Chapter Five: Caleb escapes death’s clutches.” Angus began. With no consequences, Taako felt his heart swell. Angus read the chapter from where he’d left off, trying (and failing) to do the voices, occasionally interjecting to explain a plot point or character. Taako felt Angus’ head leaning against his chest, the weight slight above his heart.

But it didn’t last. Angus read wonderfully, books were his thing after all, but his voice began to catch. The words began to dissolve into hiccups, which melted into tears. Taako could feel the sobs shake the bed ever so slightly.

Taako forced his eyes open. And sweet shit, it hurt. The faint outlines of fire were still burned into his vision, but it didn’t matter. He saw Angus, wrapped around his chest like an extra blanket, and that was all that matter. He placed a heavily bandaged hand on Angus’ head.

“Jeez Ango, what kind of wake up call is this? At least make me breakfast first.”

“O-oh, Sir!” Angus sat up with a start and suddenly realised how badly he was crying. He quickly took a handkerchief from his pocket, and rubbed his face vigorously.”I didn’t know you were-”

Taako shrugged dismissively. “How long has it been?”

“A few days. We’ve all been very worried Sir.” Angus took out a notebook from his pocket, flipping through the pages.

“You brought us in all by yourself?”

“Well, Merle helped. And Killian helped me carry Magnus, because she is very strong and Carey said that she couldn’t do it because he was too heavy.”

“She manage it?” Taako asked with a smile.

“Yes, but she did have to get her back fixed she got here.” Angus hadn’t looked from his notebook, only stopping when Taako knocked out of his hands and onto the bed.

“Knock it off kiddo. Save the nerd shit for later.” Taako already regretted waking up. Was breathing supposed to hurt? Angus yelped, rubbing at his hands. Taako frowned, only now noticing the bandages Angus had.

“Holy shit Ango, who’d you piss off?”

Angus blushed, rubbing his thumb across the bandages. “Your umbrella Sir. I, uh, don’t think it liked me very much.”

Taako looked over at this umbrella, the handle hooked over the end of his bed. 

“It probably didn’t approve of you stealing my brand. Abra-ka-fuck-you?” Taako said this with a coy smile. “Should be paying me royalties kid.”

Angus blushed. He stammered on his words, picking up his notepad from the bed to avoid eye contact. 

“I- I don’t know what happened, but the spell goofed up. I think I got shapes right, but maybe I had the wrong components or-”

Taako placed a heavy hand on Angus’ head.

“Kid.”

Angus looked up.

“You did good.”

Angus didn’t react. He looked through his notepad with a little more focus. 

“Did you hear what I said?” Taako asked.

Angus nodded. He flicked through a few more pages.

“Will you stop reading for five fucking seconds? What’s so important anyway?” Taako snatched the book and looked through it. Angus desperately tried to snatch it back, but Taako held it at the end of an extended arm. 

It was a list, similiar to the one Angus had given him before. But the names were different. Less stupid. No merry murderers.

The governor’s name was on there. Seyfried was too, but the words “burned in Neverwinter” were next to it. Jay’s name was there, but it had been crossed out. 

Then the list got weird.

Magnus had more enemies than Taako realised. He was a pain from time to time but he couldn’t imagine so many people wanted to kill him. There were a few people from Merle’s past in there too: mostly people he annoyed or hustled. His ex wife Hecuba was on there, but she was tentatively crossed out. Kravitz was on there, with a few question marks. Merle apparently still held a grudge about his arm.

And, near the bottom of the list, was the name Sazed. It was underlined.

“What the fuck Angus?” Taako said, lowering the paper. Angus snatched the book back with a mage hand, blushing so hard it looked like he was burning.

“It’s just a project, Sir, nothing to worry about.”

“Why can’t you take up smoking like normal kids?” Taako said, shaking his head. “My enemies aren’t your business Ango.”

“Yes they are Sir. You’re my family, and I couldn’t stand it if you, or Magnus or Merle got hurt because I didn’t know, and I promise I’ll tell you what happens with my investigation-”

“Listen,” Taako said, voice heavy. “You’re fired.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I don’t want a detective poking his nose into my history. I’m living in my present Angus, no point in getting buck wild over the past.”

“But Saz-”

“ _Whatever_.” Taako said, with force. “I’m done, kemosabe. I’m tapping out. I’m jumping the tracks into Who-cares-ville. All I want to do right now is chill. You should do the same.”

Angus held the notepad close to his chest, looking Taako in the eye. They didn’t say anything. Taako caved first.

“Look. As much as I’m president of the Taako fanclub, I don’t want my shit ruining your life. The people we fuck with are real sons of bitches. They won’t give a shit about killing you. And I want you around Angus.”

Taako shrugged weakly. Damn he hoped people would believe he’d been delirious.

Angus didn’t say anything for a little while. He just sat beside Taako, passing his notepad from hand to hand.

“Thank you Sir.” Angus said, quietly.

“No big, kid.” Taako’s voice was soft, on the verge of drifting to sleep.

“Do you mind if I read some more of my book?”

“Ugh. Who wants stories from the second best…” Taako’s voice drifted off as he fell asleep. Angus looked at his notepad for a few seconds, before flipping to an older page. He got comfortable on the bed beside Taako, cleared his voice, and began to read.

“Angus McDonald was the world’s best cop, and he could tell there was someone dangerous on the train…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! I'm sad to see this one finish, it's been so fun to write and have people react to.
> 
> Maybe I'll write an Angus spin off someday, but for now, all is good with them, and they deserve that.


End file.
